Roller grills utilize a plurality of heated tubes that permit elongated food items such as, but not limited to, hot dogs, bratwursts, corndogs and the like to be rotated or turned to allow for the heat to be evenly applied to the food item. Roller grills are commonly found in a number of places including convenience stores and gas stations.
In use, food products such as hot dogs are placed on the rollers and usually covered with a transparent lid to allow consumers to see what food items are available for purchase. In operation, a consumer views the products and, when a selection is made, opens the transparent lid or access door and then reaches in to grab the hot dog or other food item with tongs or other devices.
Based on consumer practices, when only a single or a small number of items remain, a common instinctual reaction for consumers is to think that the food item may have been displayed for an extended period of time and therefore elect not to purchase it. Accordingly, consumers are more apt to purchase food items from a roller grill when there are more items displayed for sale. Furthermore, certain operations of convenience stores and the like where a roller grill is in use are very reluctant to dispose of any food, regardless of how long it has been on the roller. Accordingly, the more food items on the roller grill that can be sold quickly, the less waste there will be and the better off consumers will be.
Under food guidelines and regulations, such food items must be replaced when unsold after certain periods of time (typically at the end of the day). Because of the perception that an individually displayed food item (or a few food items) may be old, there are often hotdogs and other food items left over at the end of the day. This creates inefficiencies and waste as the owners therefore have to throw away or otherwise dispose of food products that are left over after the regulated time period.